irregularities

It's not that I don't enjoy beer fairs, it's that I like to have some idea about when I can expect them.  They always seem to appear out of nowhere.  It seems like it was only a few months ago that Beermad was down at Caja Mágica, and here they are again.  Now, I can't let opportunities to go waste, so went down too, for one day at least.

I was thinking I could give myself a pretty good variety, alternating between light and dark beers.  Nómada was looking a little lonely when I arrived so I darted over and chose the pilsner.  A little something different.  Naturepils is unfiltered and unpasturized, so I expect something interesting.  It's dirty yellow, with a light head, not too aromatic.  The flavor is very soft, just a touch of bitter, and with a mild grassiness in the aftertaste.  It's unintrusive, a good sipping beer, could even be gulped at 4.2%.  The flavor is steady and unchanging from start to finish, harboring no surprises, what you start with is what you finish with.

The wind is a little unpleasant, although we're under a roof it seems like rain could easily be blown in.  I'm wandering a little deeper for the next glass.

La Volet was sandwiched in between a couple of busier stands with food and music, but the offering was attractive enough.  I went for Antiga, the old ale, hoping for my dark side to be fulfilled.  It is a nice chocolate brown, with a mild appley aroma, but the scent is pretty light too.  It's a little bitter at first sip, toasty, not so sweet as I feared it might be, just a little bit of apple flavor bubbles up in the end.  Mostly, though, the beeriness is in the forefront to be savored.  There's a bit of that left on the tongue after every sip, building up to a nice bitter over time.

I'm feeling the need for a nice black beer, and there is a coffee porter at CCVK.  It's the same color as Antiga, but with a creamier looking head.  I don't detect any aroma at all.  I wonder if the wind and food smells have something to do with that?  The beer is a little thin at first, but then a nice coffee taste wafts up.  It's very smooth and only slightly sweet, not tart like some, even coffee, porters.  It's a dort of afternoon beverage, to be relaxing in the garden with, hoping not to get rained on.  Ar 6.5% it's deceptively unchallenging in flavor and could get you to drink three or four before you know it.

Hmm, yeah

Maybe an IPA will have more character.  I stop by Cervezas Sanfrutos for one, and it appears it will do the trick.  It's kind of a dull yellow but bright and citrusy in aroma.  The taste is a little darker than I expected, slier, like the beer put one over on you.  I taste a smirk.  Besides that, it's a pretty standard IPA, nicely hoppy and with a good clean bitter flavor.  It's more energetic than the previous porter, sort of a sunny afternoon/warm evening sort of beer.  I personally would like it for conversation, although some might find it too distracting.

I found my beloved stout at Monkey Brewing, although I wonder if I've had it in the bottle; the name sounds kind of familiar.  (Yep)  It's a nice dark brown, with a fluffy kind of head, not a lot of aroma here either.  It's a very nice sweet and flavorful at first, but I get a touch of sour at the end of the swallow.  The sweet builds up but stays under control, nothing too syrupy.  I keep thinking it's a little bit coconutty, but maybe that's wishful thinking after seeing Galactic Nuts on tap.

Cotton candy?  It's a damn carnival!

To finish up, I think a light beer will be best,  I've already had an IPA, so maybe a lager?  Four Lions is just across the aisle with a Helles.  It's straw yellow, one of the beeriest drinks in appearance of the day.  It smells like a beer, with the typical graininess.  The taste is bitter, slightly grassy, and fizzy.  There's a weird kind of sting at the end of the swallow.  It's nice, but a little dusty, not as refreshing as an IPA might be.

Door wide open this year

So many beers, so many festivals!  Oh wait, so little time!

Gee, what are they doing here?